I'm guessing that no one has had the Xmas special of Downton aired, as no one's talked about the third series I'm thinking you must still be waiting for it. I watched the special, ir started at 8.45pm and lasted until 10.45pm too late on Xmas day but set not as Xmas but in Summer and the family are in holiday in Scotland and most of the staff left behind to do the cleaning. I'll say no more until you've watched it.

Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin

If you're wondering whether a particular British TV production has been preserved, check out lostshows.com. This is only for UK shows. Now I understand why two BBC productions have never shown up on VHS or DVD:

Dostoevsky's THE IDIOT (late60s), starring David Buck as Prince Myshkin, was never shown in the U.S., but I remember reading a rave review of it. One of the five episodes is missing.

Dostoevsky's THE POSSESSED (1969) was shown in America, and it was splendid, with a cast which included Rosalie Crutchley, Angela Pleasence, and a number of unfamiliar but very gifted actors. The good news is that all six episodes exist. The bad news is that they exist in 16mm black & white, but the series was filmed in two-inch color.

So the BBC did no better than Hollywood studios of the past in preserving some of their finest works.

Anyone interested the new season of "Inspector Lewis" started last night and goes through the end of the month. "Endeavor," the "Morse" prequel comes to Masterpiece Theater next month. "Foyle's War" comes in September.

I am. Sometimes she will tell me that she has lost something. Not that I would find it but that it helps keep it in her head. My job has always been "open jars, hold things and kill bugs." Apart from that I am of little use.